Chapter 44

This summer, the air is filled with restlessness, which is intensified by the lingering heat of summer.

The existence of football lottery is sending people to heaven while dragging them down to hell at the same time.

Lin Mian, however, had no intention of paying attention to the charm of football. Her goal had been set from the very beginning.

This year, he successfully achieved the rank of dan and became a professional 5th dan Go player.

The domestic professional Go promotion system is very strict and cruel. Players accumulate results by participating in major professional competitions throughout the year and complete the games they are responsible for to be promoted.

The so-called responsible games are a probation period set to test whether the chess players have reached the promotion standards. The chess players need to complete a certain number of games within a period of time and accumulate the required points in these games in order to be promoted.

Lin Mian's schedule is too full and she has too many things to do, so she wants to make a breakthrough in the National Go Ranking Tournament.

To advance to a higher rank, one needs to accumulate 120 points. If Lin Mian can win every game, the number of games he needs to complete will be reduced.

The third responsible bureau is the starting point standard.

If a player's record is mediocre and their win rate isn't high enough to trigger a shorter mandatory round, they'll need to accumulate points over a longer series of games. This typically requires playing 20 consecutive games to reach a cumulative total of 120 points.

The second responsible game is that if the player performs extremely well in a period of competition, the number of games can be shortened from 20 to 16. This means that the average score per game must be 7.5 points. The winning rate requirement is very high, and it is best if the opponent's rank is not much lower than one's own. If Lin Mian chooses to play against a second or third dan player, then she can only get seven or eight points if she wins.

For the first responsible game, which requires the least number of games, if the player has an extremely good record, the assessment period will be further shortened to 12 games, which means that the player needs to get a full score of 10 points in each game.

This is simply a fantasy. No one can guarantee that they can win every game, and it is also possible to match with opponents of higher ranks than themselves, which makes it even more difficult.

But Lin Mian was competitive. The more others thought something was impossible, the more she wanted to do it. But to be in the first-line responsible position, Lin Mian's opponents couldn't be lower than hers.

Fortunately, she is lucky. Because of her promotion speed and age in the past two years, Lin Mian is treated as a seeded player.

In the first round, she played against a seeded player, which allowed Lin Mian to score 10 points per game and enter the second round.

The second round of the competition matched the opponents based on the players' current points. Lin Mian was lucky as he encountered opponents with ranks of four and five.

This also means that winning is not easy.

And the answer given by Lin Mian is a 100% winning rate.

Her solid layout and precise calculations make her invincible.

But there were also opponents who used surprising tactics. Lin Mian was not discouraged. When it came to quick thinking, who knew who was better among those present.

The only disadvantage she may have is her age and lack of experience, but this has also become her advantage.

She successfully increased the number of games she played during the assessment period to 12, and was successfully in the first responsible game.

She was also the fastest chess player to reach her first responsible game this year, and was at the peak of her career.

And in the most crucial 12th game, where if one fails to score 10 points, the promotion to a higher rank will be declared a failure, Lin Mian met an acquaintance.

"You seem surprised to see me."

The 17-year-old Wang Zeyi has changed a lot, not just because of his height.

The impetuousness and frivolity between his eyebrows disappeared, and caution and seriousness emerged in his eyes.

Even the voice became deeper and more pleasant.

"I wouldn't say I'm surprised, but it's good. It's just a pity that you weren't a 9th-dan Go player when I saw you again."

This kid still talks like that, it makes me angry.

Wang Zeyi wasn't angry, though. He certainly didn't become a 9th-dan player. But: "I'm now the youngest 5th-dan player in the country. If you beat me, you'll break the record again. But I won't let you beat me so easily. Who knows, maybe I'll be the winner this time. I've been really focusing on Go these past few years."

In the past few years, in the dojo, Wang Zeyi's daily life is nothing but training, reviewing, and writing down scores. He even rarely attends academic classes. He has no other choice.

Wang Zeyi enjoys a life that is boring and predictable in the eyes of outsiders.

There was always an idea clamoring in his mind, or perhaps he had a premonition that he would play chess with Lin Mian again.

Her eyes were the last memory he recalled before falling asleep every night.

He was as excited as a cheetah lying in wait after seeing its prey. The way she looked at him was clearly the look of someone seeing their prey.

Wang Zeyi would never believe such a person who wanted to give up Go.

When Wang Zeyi saw Lin Mian's name on the promotion list, he knew that this battle would come eventually.

Sure enough, now that they met again on the chessboard, Wang Zeyi almost laughed out loud.

Just when he thought they were friends, he heard nothing from her.

This is not a touching reunion of old friends, but his battle of revenge.

"Really? Then I'll be looking forward to it, Wang Zeyi."

When she called out his name, Wang Zeyi quickly lowered his head.

He knew that his expression must be very strange at this moment.

He hated her all these years. He thought he had a friend, but it was just his thought.

But when she called her name again, it was more like surprise than hatred.

She still remembered her own name. Did she think of herself over the years? He was not the only one who thought of her, she also thought of him.

"Is that the name? I just saw it on the list. I hope I remember it correctly."

Now Wang Zeyi's face was completely dark. He snorted coldly and sat down without saying a word.

In the guessing game, Wang Zeyi played black and Lin Mian played white.

The air was stagnant and solemn, with the sounds of chess pieces dropping and timers ticking constantly heard all around.

Wang Zeyi frowned slightly, holding a black dot between his fingertips, his calm eyes filled with scrutiny.

He is no longer the Wang Zeyi he used to be. He has learned to be more patient.

He would think carefully about every move, because his opponent was Lin Mian. Her chess style was already very "strange" before, and now that she has grown up, she should not be underestimated.

Wang Zeyi doesn't want his move to become someone else's wedding dress.

Wang Zeyi's moves also became cautious. Even when he was the first to kill the corner, his steps were solid and reliable, as if the white chess pieces were some kind of monster.

The other side is cautious, so logically we should also be cautious, but Lin Mian is not.

She added a move in the third line to reinforce the position and did not follow the black chess piece.

However, since Lin Mian chose not to avoid the sharp edge, Wang Zeyi was no longer cautious. The black pieces hit the white pieces in the corner, and the tension became stronger.

Lin Mian did not choose to retreat, but chose a flanking move with a distance from the black chess piece. This move was more compact and had a stronger sense of oppression.

As expected, she can't be underestimated. Wang Zeyi seriously thought about his next move.

Amid the crisp sound of the timer constantly ticking, the two of them refused to give in. They knew that the other was a rare opponent and they needed to go all out. Once they relaxed, the other's fangs would be exposed and they would bite without mercy.

It's more like a struggle in nature than a game of chess, a life-or-death battle between a cheetah and a venomous snake.

Entering the middle game, Wang Zeyi, relying on his greater experience than Lin Mian, built an iron wall on the periphery, forming a powerful external force.

The black chess pieces are like dark clouds pressing in, creating a deterrent effect with an inaudible "hissing" sound.

During this period, he moved his pieces faster, trying to suppress Lin Mian with his momentum.

Lin Mian was not afraid at all. Her eyes were half closed, as if nothing else could enter her eyes except this game of chess.

After several quick and flexible moves, the white chess piece suddenly turned and went deep into the black chess's sphere of influence.

This is a very risky step. If it is not handled properly, the whole army will be wiped out!

Wang Zeyi's eyes lit up. Venomous snakes are always the best at seizing opportunities.

The black pieces ruthlessly blocked the opponent's development and attacked the opponent's thin pieces, sparks flying all over the chessboard.

Lin Mian's white pieces rushed left and right as if they had lost all their strategies. They looked very embarrassed, but they always managed to confuse the opponent.

At the same time, she took advantage of a tiny breakpoint left by the black chess attack to lay the groundwork for extending her energy.

Wang Zeyi, who was in the game, ignored this subtle hidden danger and continued to attack.

Wang Zeyi was constantly calculating the chess game between himself and his opponent in his mind, and sweat was running down his temples. However, he was a little excited. He didn't expect that he could really gain the upper hand.

But Lin Mian calculated very quickly, and he picked up the next chess piece almost as soon as his fingers left it.

In the situation where the white chess pieces seemed to be struggling to survive, Wang Zeyi narrowed his eyes. He felt something was wrong at this moment.

This wasn't the move Lin Mian would make. He must have overlooked something.

As the timer continued to tick, I sweat more and more, and some of it dripped onto the ground, making a "tick-tick" sound.

Is it here or here?

Wang Zeyi's eyes were fixed on every piece on the chessboard, but the shadow of tension in his heart was growing bigger and bigger.

He was unable to capture the black piece and was afraid that he had fallen into Lin Mian's trap.

In my peripheral vision, the other party was just sitting there calmly, not looking panicked at all.

Perhaps, he was over-deifying the other party, and it was all just his imagination?

Amid the increasingly urgent counting sounds, Wang Zeyi no longer hesitated and pressed the black piece hard, as if he was suppressing something, and the chessboard also vibrated slightly.

A smile appeared on his originally calm face, and Lin Mian's eyes brightened, finally falling into his thoughts.

The white cheetah finally came out of its dormancy, bit the venomous snake's head, and swallowed it with a roar.

The air seemed to freeze, and even the recorder's hands were trembling slightly.

Wang Zeyi's face turned pale in an instant. He had thought that he would win the fight, but in fact he was making things difficult for the opponent.

Lin Mian took advantage of the victory and attacked without hesitation, and the black chess piece was killed by the white chess piece!

Although the game is not over yet, Black is already losing.

In the subsequent closing stage, although Wang Zeyi tried his best to catch up, Lin Mian played extremely steadily and maturely, and did not give Wang Zeyi any chance to turn the tables.

For this reason, Lin Mian even gave up several risky moves that could expand his victory, and just held on to the victory firmly, making precise calculations and leaving no room for error.

Wang Zeyi is growing up, and Lin Mian is also growing up.

She is no longer the adventurous person she used to be. She only knows how to lay traps in the layout and mid-game. Once she has crushed the opponent, she will not try anything else, but will hold on tightly and not give the opponent a chance to turn the tables.

The playful kitten has turned into a more mature cheetah that is more capable of delivering a fatal blow to its enemies.

As Wang Zeyi stopped the clock and admitted defeat, Lin Mian stood up and shook hands with Wang Zeyi.

"As expected, playing chess is more fun only with you."

"Thank you, but you're not weak either."

I just met her.

Wang Zeyi, who understood the implicit meaning, smiled bitterly, but he did not feel any resentment.

It was just history repeating itself. Lin Mian could once have defeated him by crossing levels, but now defeating him by crossing levels as well was nothing.

"I'm really happy to see you playing Go again. Maybe you'll become a 9th-dan player faster than me. No, not maybe, but definitely. Lin Mian, I look forward to hearing your name resound throughout the Go world one day."

As Wang Zeyi said this, he suddenly remembered that Lin Mian was already very famous in the Go world. He couldn't help but hold his forehead and smile bitterly, "Look at my brain, I'm afraid you are already famous enough."

Lin Mian didn't smile. She looked at Wang Zeyi seriously, her eyes serious and certain.

"This won't be the last time we play chess, Wang Zeyi. No matter who comes out on top, I'll be looking forward to our next meeting."

Wang Zeyi was a little stunned. He wiped his face and put on his original carefree smile.

"Of course, next time I will study your chess thoroughly. Just wait, Lin Mian. I won't lose next time."

"I'll look forward to it."

If facing Lin Mian's ridicule, Wang Zeyi could still argue.

But facing the serious Lin Mian, Wang Zeyi didn't even dare to meet her eyes.

Not long after, the results were announced. As the winner of the Yueduan match, Lin Mian once again scored 10 points.

Become the first chess player to successfully reach the dan level.

Lin Mian, who was being stared at by different eyes, didn't know that her name was placed on a table at this moment, a table that determined the fate of the chess players.